USU to Host First Intermountain Health Court Conference

Utah State University hosts the first Intermountain Mental Health Court Conference June 29 to July 1 on the Logan campus. The conference is designed to connect experts in the fields of social work and criminal justice to share best practices of therapeutic jurisprudence.

The conference is sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology and Bear River Mental Health Services, Inc.

The public is invited to attend the plenary talk by Pete Earley, a former “Washington Post” journalist. His presentation, “Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness,” is a personal account of trying to help his son after the son became ill with bipolor disorder in college and committed a crime.

Following that experience, Earley wrote the book “Crazy,” which chronicles the year he spent at the Miami Dade County jail following inmates with mental disorders and the challenges of navigating the country’s mental health system. “Crazy” was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2007.

Conference organizers hope the message will resonate with members of the community with similar experiences.

Earley’s talk is Wednesday, June 29, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Taggart Student Center on the USU campus. Cost is $25, and lunch is included. To reserve a seat, call 800-538-2663.